1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rear combination lamp that is mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile. Particularly, the present invention relates to a rear combination lamp suitable for an automated assembling operation.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 11-189260, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various techniques of rear combination lamps have heretofore been known, and a rear combination lamp of the common type will be described with reference to FIG. 16 which is a schematic view thereof.
As shown in FIG. 16, external wires W0 are connected to the conventional rear combination lamp 100 via connectors C, and this lamp 100 includes four lamp sockets 101a to 101d. A turn lamp is inserted in the first lamp socket 101a, a tail-stop lamp is inserted in the second lamp socket 110b, a parking-stop lamp is inserted in the third lamp socket 101c, and a back lamp is inserted in the fourth lamp socket 101d. 
Branch wires, branching from a common grounding wire G, are connected to minus electrode 102 of the four lamp sockets 101a to 101d, respectively.
Branch wires, branching from a common wire W, are connected respectively to plus electrodes of the lamp sockets 101b and 101c so that the lamps (stop lamps), held respectively in these lamp sockets, can be lighted at the same time.
By thus effecting the branch connections of the common wires, the numbers of the external wires, connected to the rear combination lamp, can be reduced. Therefore, a total of ten wires are connected to the electrodes of the lamp sockets 101a to 101d. 
In a conventional method of effecting a branch connection of a common wire, a sheath of the common wire is removed intermediate opposite ends thereof, and a sheath of another wire is removed at its end portion, and exposed portions of conductors of these wires are compressively connected together by the use of a metal piece. In this case, it is necessary to insulate the compressively-connected portion, for example, by winding a tape therearound. There is known another method in which a branch connection of a wire is effected using a joint connector.
Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei. 1-164606 discloses a wire routing structure in a rear combination lamp as shown in FIG. 17. In this rear combination lamp, a wire 121, connected to lamp sockets 120a and 120b, is passed through a protective pipe 122, and this protective pipe 122 is retainingly engaged in a notch 125 formed in a horizontal rib 124 formed on a lamp body 123. With this construction, the wire 121 of a sufficient length is prevented from being cut by a metal edge portion 126 of a vehicle body upon contact therewith.
In the above conventional rear combination lamps, however, the operation for effecting the branch connection of the wire, as well as the operation for installing the wire, has been cumbersome, and besides it has been difficult to automate these operations, and therefore there has been encountered a problem that the cost has increased.
With the above problems in view, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rear combination lamp which enables the connection of wires to be effected easily and positively, and is suitable for an automated assembling operation.
To achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rear combination lamp which comprises a lamp, a lamp socket holding the lamp, the lamp socket including a plurality of connection terminals which are electrically connected to the lamp, a plurality of conductor contact portions respectively formed on the connection terminals, a lamp body, comprising at least one socket mounting portion including a socket mounting opening, which is formed in a rear side of the socket mounting portion, and in which the lamp socket is detachably mounted, and a plate-like member including a hole corresponding to the socket mounting opening, the plate-like member being mounted on the lamp body, the plate-like member having a plurality of conductors mounted therein, wherein the lamp socket is mounted in the socket mounting opening through the hole of the plate-like member so that the conductor contact portions of the connection terminals are electrically connected respectively to the conductors of the plate-like member.
In the rear combination lamp of the above construction, the conductors are mounted in a flat manner in the plate-like member, and therefore the conductor-mounting operation can be easily automated, and also branch connections of the conductors can be easily effected. Since the conductors are mounted in the plate-like member, a wire installation operation is not necessary, and therefore the assembling operation of the rear combination lamp is simplified, and this assembling operation can be easily automated.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the plate-like member is so shaped as to be fitted on at least part of the lamp body. With this construction, an operation for mounting the plate-like member on the lamp body can be effected easily and positively.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the plate-like member comprises a thermoplastic resin sheet having a hot-melt adhesive. With this construction, in a heated condition of this thermoplastic resin sheet, an operation for adhesively fixing the conductors to the sheet and an operation for forming the sheet into such a shape as to be fitted on at least part of the lamp body can be effected at the same time, and therefore the productivity can be enhanced. Based on the third aspect of the present invention, preferably, the plate-like member may comprise two thermoplastic resin sheets having a hot-melt adhesive therebetween. In this case, the thermoplastic resin sheets are adhesively bonded together while the conductors are sandwiched therebetween.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the lamp socket includes a socket body receiving the connection terminals, and a flange, wherein the conductor contact portions of the connection terminals have resiliency, and project from the flange, and wherein when the lamp socket is mounted in the socket mounting opening, the conductor contact portions are abutted respectively against the conductors. With this construction, when the lamp socket is mounted on the lamp body through the hole of the plate-like member, the conductor contact portions of the connection terminals are automatically abutted respectively against the conductors of the plate-like member, and therefore the efficiency of the assembling operation can be enhanced.
Further, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the socket mounting portion is formed as a shaped surface of the lamp body, and wherein the plate-like member is so shaped as to cover the socket mounting portion.
Furthermore, according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the conductors are partially exposed at notches which are formed in the plate-like member, so that the conductor contact portions of the connection terminals are electrically connected respectively to partially-exposed portions of the conductors at the notches of the plate-like member when the lamp socket is mounted in the socket mounting opening.